THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. President Peres, thank you, sir, for your
hospitality. Mr. Prime Minister and Mrs. Olmert, it's great to be with
you. We consider you friends. Heads of state, thank you all for coming.
I think it's a great tribute to this conference, as well as to Israel that
some so many heads of state have come. Ex-heads of state and ex-leaders,
thanks for being here. Save a seat in the ex-leader's club. (Laughter and
applause.) Citizens of Israel, Laura and I loved coming to your beautiful
country, and thank you for your warm hospitality. Citizens of the United
States, my fellow Americans -- (applause) -- spend freely and behave
yourselves. (Laughter.)

Distinguished guests, I really appreciate your warm welcome. And we are
thrilled to be here with one of America's closest friends. Laura and I are
honored to represent the American people on the 60th anniversary of your
independence. Happy birthday. (Applause.)

As we celebrate the anniversary, it is useful to look back at the story of
your founding. It is the story of how faith guided the Jewish people
through centuries of bitter exile. It is a story of how those living
behind ghetto walls and barbed wire never lost sight of Jerusalem. And it
is a story of how brave pioneers risked everything to redeem the promise of
this land. It is a marvelous story.

When Israel's founders gathered in Tel Aviv to sign your declaration of
independence, the threat of war loomed. But it could not overshadow the
joy of people who had lived to see their prayers answered. Celebrations
broke out all across this land, and of course they broke out in America, as
well. In New York, young men and women danced the hora in the streets. In
Washington, a crowd gathered to watch a flag-raising ceremony outside the
building that would become Israel's first embassy. After one man saw the
flag bearing the Star of David, he said, "I never thought I'd live to see
this day."

Looking back 60 years later, it is important to remember what the founders
of Israel had to overcome at every stage of the journey. They established
one of the world's great democracies in a region where democracy had few
roots. They formed a unified army out of immigrants and refugees from many
different countries. They planted the seeds of a modern economy in the
sands of an ancient desert. In these accomplishments, we see the visionary
leadership of men and women like Herzl and Weizmann and Ben-Gurion and
Golda Meir and Rabin and Sharon -- and we honor each of them this evening.
(Applause.)

And looking back 60 years later, we've also got to remember the courage of
Harry S. Truman. As Israel prepared to declare independence, President
Truman faced a tough choice over whether to recognize a new state. The
future of Israel hung in the balance. As Chaim Weizmann told the
President, he said, "History and providence have placed this issue in your
hands." And today we know that the forces of Providence could not have
chosen a better man than America's 33rd President. (Applause.)

Eleven minutes after Israel came into existence, the United States became
the first nation to recognize its independence. And because Harry Truman
did what was right instead of following the conventional wisdom, we can say
today that America is Israel's oldest and best friend in the world.
(Applause.)

With every passing year, the bonds of friendship between America and Israel
have grown stronger. America stands for peace, and so does Israel. And as
we stand in peace, we must understand the realities of the world in which
we live. We must be steadfast, and we must be strong in the face of those
who murder the innocent to achieve their objectives. (Applause.) And in
the long run, we share a powerful belief in a powerful weapon against the
terrorists. We believe that the surest way to defeat the enemies of hatred
is to advance the cause of hope through the cause of freedom; liberty as
the great alternative to tyranny and terror. (Applause.)

Mr. President, and Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for inviting me to speak
at the Knesset tomorrow. I hear it's a place of many a sharp elbow.
(Laughter.) I'm looking forward to giving my speech. (Laughter.) I'm not
going to be throwing any elbows. But I will talk about the day when I
believe every child in the Middle East can live in peace and live in
freedom. (Applause.) With trust in the Rock of Israel, we know that day
will come. And when it does, the United States of America will be by at
your side.